Dhinidhi Desinghu returned from Dakar, Senegal on Monday after winning two bronze medals at the Youth Olympics. The 15-year-old swimmer put celebrations on hold to focus on her Class XI examinations starting Nov 16. She now aims to work hard to reach the qualifying mark for the LA Olympics.
Dhinidhi Desinghu returned from Dakar, Senegal on Monday
BENGALURU: India’s teenage swimming sensation Dhinidhi Desinghu returned from Dakar, Senegal, on Monday morning to a warm welcome from officials of the Karnataka Swimming Association. After a traditional reception, she was felicitated at her home club, Dolphin Aquatics, at the Centre of Excellence (CoE). But after winning two landmark bronze medals at the Youth Olympics last week, celebrations were not high on the 15-year-old Bengaluru swimmer’s agenda. Her books were waiting. Although her parents urged her to take a day off and enjoy the Deepavali festivities, Dhinidhi wasted little time getting back to her studies and private tutorials. With her Class XI examinations at Kendriya Vidyalaya, DRDO, beginning on Nov 16, academics have taken priority once again. For the teenager, the discipline that has helped her make a mark in the swimming pool extends to the classroom too. “There is no time to celebrate because my examinations are coming up. I carried my books to Dakar also, but didn’t want to add to the stress and didn’t study,” said the teenager who won gold, silver and bronze in 200m, 100m and 400m freestyle events respectively at the Asian Age Group Championships in Bangkok in July this year. Her coach, Nihar Ameen, who was delighted by his ward’s success, told TOI, “She’s a talent we all know that—more than that, she is a hard worker. Talent alone doesn’t give you the results. At some point in time, you’ve got to break through the glass ceiling. And you’ve got to really work hard and only then go to the next level, and that’s what she’s doing.” Dhinindhi, who was the youngest in India’s Paris Olympics contingent, won the 100m freestyle bronze with a national record time of 56.27 seconds and finished the 200m freestyle event in 2:02.28 for the bronze medal. While the results are promising, Ameen said they are looking ahead to attaining the ‘A’ qualifying mark for the 2028 LA Olympics. “Much of the last couple of years we’ve been trying to get her to get to the point where she breaks two minutes and works towards the A qualifying time for the LA Olympics (1.56.43). It’s a Herculean task, but I’m glad she is ending the season on a high, you know,” stated the Dhronacharya awardee. While none of the female swimmers attained the qualifying mark set by the Swimming Federation of India for the recently concluded Asian Games, Ameen believes swimmers like Dhindhi should have been given an opportunity to compete against the best in Asia.
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“The best of the country need to be motivated. If our youngsters see that there are no swimmers (female) going to the Asian Games, Olympics or the Commonwealth Games, why would they stay in the course till they peak when they are 19 or 20 years old? The best in the country should have been sent, even for representation; on that count, I feel the federation made a grave error, and it impacted Dhinidhi psychologically,” pointed out Ameen. For Dhinidhi, the target is clear: qualifying for the LA Games. “My goal is to qualify for the Olympics. We are already towards the end of 2026, and the qualifiers start next year, so there isn’t much time. It is very difficult to qualify in the 100 and 200 metres freestyle events, but I will give my best,” she said. But for the next couple of weeks, the focus is on academics and not timing in the pool.